U.S. stock-index futures trading lower: U.S. stock index futures are pointing to a marginally lower on Thursday, as negative comments from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi overshadowed encouraging readings from the U.S. labor market. Weekly jobless claims declined 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 374,000, according to the Labor Department, that beat economists’ expectations of a fall in claims to 385,000. Separately, the ADP National Employment Report showed that private employers added 176,000 jobs in June. The Dow futures, the S&P futures and the NASDAQ future are all trading mildly in the red.

European markets mostly lower: European markets are trading mostly lower, with the German DAX (INDEXDB:DAX) trading down 0.5 percent at 6534.96, the FTSE 100 (INDEXFTSE:UKX) up 0.2 percent at 5692.99, and the CAC 40 (INDEXEURO:PX1) fell 0.8 percent to 3240.65. The euro zone blue-chip ESTX 50 PR.EUR (INDEXSTOXX:SX5E) (Euro Stoxx 50) was down 0.8 percent.

* Australian budget carrier Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd (ASX:VAH) has inked a $2.19 billion deal with The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) for the delivery of 23 737 MAX aircrafts over the next ten years.

* Private equity firm Carlyle Group LP (NASDAQ:CG) has acquired a 49 percent stake in China’s Mandarin Hotel Holdings for an undisclosed sum, making it the hotel operator’s biggest shareholder.

* Electronics retailer Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) has opened a test store near its headquarters in Minnesota, whose designs are heavily borrowed from the look of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s retail outlets, The Wall Street Journal reported.

* Racetrack operator International Speedway Corporation (NASDAQ:ISCA) posted second quarter adjusted earnings of 52 cents per share, on revenue of $179.6 million that easily beat analysts’ estimate of earnings of 40 cents per share on revenue of $158.65 million.

* Auto retailer AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) said retail new vehicle sales jumped 38 percent in June, compared to the same month last year.

* U.S. auto parts supplier Visteon Corporation (NYSE:VC) will offer some $805 million to buy the remaining 30 percent of South Korean car air conditioner maker Halla Climate Control that it does not already own.

* Movie theater chain Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE:RGC) has seen its earnings per share estimate slashed by analysts at Wedbush.

Europe

* British insurer Aviva Plc (ADR) (NYSE:AV) (LON:AV) is planning to sell or close 16 non-core underperforming businesses as part of a radical overhaul aimed at bolstering its capital reserves and improving its financial performance.

* Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service have lowered their outlook of the scandal-hit Barclays PLC (ADR) (NYSE:BCS) (LON:BARC) to negative from stable, amid the resignations of its top three executives.

* Spanish lenders Banco Santander, S.A. (ADR) (NYSE:SAN) and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (ADR) (NYSE:BBVA) were down more than a percent each on speculation that the bailout of the country’s banks could be delayed.

* Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is considering a sale of its Esso gas station chain, which includes more than 1,100 gas stations in Germany, Bloomberg reported.

* South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics has displaced Japanese rival Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758) as the most valued brand by consumers in Asia, according to a survey by research firm Nielsen and media magazine Campaign Asia-Pacific. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL),Nestle and Panasonic Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:PC)(TYO:6752) also made it to the top five list.

* Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart has reduced her stake in Fairfax Media Limited (ASX:FXJ), publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, from 18.7 per cent to about 15 percent, after failing to win seats on the company’s board.

Author: Abhijit SenAbhijit Sen is a financial writer, commentator, with close to a decade's experience in analyzing global equity, commodity and Forex markets. He is based in India, and can be reached at abhijit.sen@valuewalk.com.